Genetic test could spare thousands of UK women chemotherapy and save NHS £4m annually
A study suggests that expanding use of the Prosigna gene test for low-risk breast cancer could prevent unnecessary chemotherapy for over 4,000 women a year and cut NHS spending by about £4 million.
A UCL-led evaluation of the Prosigna gene-expression test indicates that broader eligibility could spare thousands of UK women the harsh side effects of chemotherapy while delivering significant cost reductions for the NHS. The OPTIMA trial, involving 4,429 women aged 40 and older with tumors up to 30 mm or limited lymph-node spread, showed that two-thirds of participants received low-risk scores and safely received hormone therapy alone.
Professor Peter Hall calculated a per-patient saving of £654 over the first two years, amounting to roughly £4 million annually if the test were applied to all eligible cases. Chemotherapy currently costs about £5,500 per patient for drugs, nursing, hospital stays and side-effect management, whereas the Prosigna test costs £1,955. The results were presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology conference in Madrid, highlighting both clinical and economic benefits.
Why it matters
Wider use of the test could reduce chemotherapy exposure for thousands and ease financial pressure on the NHS.
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